Tag Archives: cello lessons

“Which cello rosin do you use?”

…. is actually a question I am rarely asked! This overlooked cake of hardened tree-goop not only allows us to bow the string*, but also plays a large part in our tone production.

I suggest that students apply a few coats of rosin (3 to 10 strokes, ΠV) before each practice session, rehearsal, & performance. Partly for consistency, but also to avoid injury. Without enough rosin on your bow, the hairs won’t properly grip the strings. To compensate for the ensuing bow-slip, you will tense up and over-work your right arm; resulting in an injury similar to tennis elbow. However, there is such a thing as over-rosining your bow. If it’s too thickly coated, your hairs will get stuck in the string. This results in a bow-tripping sensation much like stumbling from catching your toe on the sidewalk. We’re looking for that Goldilocks principle: not too much, not too little – a few coats of rosin is just right.

With so many brands and prices, which one do you choose? Thankfully, Johnson String Instrument Shop has made it easier for me to share the rosins I use via student wish lists! Here are some recommended cello rosins for: (I) Students (II) Professionals and (III) …surprise! Percussionists.

*Without rosin the bow hairs can’t grip the string, no matter how hard you bow… it makes no sound.

Pros: Generally used in Spring/Summer (humid seasons); for light, fast playing. Cuts well, can add an edge to your bow tone. There are a lot of Pirastro rosins to choose from (almost too many…), surely one among their variety should be ample to cover the tone and grip needed for your particular strings: see here.

Cons: Heavy powdering, can irritate sinuses. Sometimes tone is too bright and thin for classic cello repertoire. Doesn’t grip as deeply as I need for power playing.

Pros: *Rosin of choice for two of my go-to luthiers! Use as a final polishing layer in combination with other rosins; fine smooth feel with medium tone; not over-grippy.

Cons: For a professional cellist, this rosin doesn’t grip strongly enough to stand on it’s own. However, for students on smaller sized cellos (1/4, 1/2, 3/4, etc) it should do splendidly.

Hill Dark Rosin (green),the ultimate rosins, used by professionals worldwide. The Hill Brand rosins are wrapped in their own padded velveteen shell. This is the rosin that others strive to emulate. Used for violin, viola and cello, the amber (light) is slightly hard and has moderate powder. The dark (green) is slightly softer and grips better than the amber.

Pros: For the last decade this has been my favorite rosin! Generally used in Fall/Winter (drier seasons); for heavy, rich playing. More and more, I’ve been using it all year round. The tone is complex, gorgeous. Very grippy, results in a powerful deep sound.

Cons: This rosin may be too sticky and coarse for some sets of lighter gauge strings.

Kolstein & Sons, Ltd. produces an outstanding rosin using their Ultra Formulation Supreme recipe. Very minimal powdering and excellent grip equate to quick response and consistent sustain for both the veteran and beginning cellist. A good rosin for players with respiratory difficulties.

Pros: Wow, I love this Baroque cello/viol rosin. Though it’s made for traditional sheep gut strings, it still plays wonderfully on modern metal-core/wound strings. Incredible glide, with even grip from fingerboard to bridge on all strings. Lighter tone than Kolstein; plays smooth; a finer grade. It feels as if the bow hairs are melting into your string, like a hot knife through butter. No harsh squeaking sounds on the A string.

Cons: Have yet to find any, this stuff is near perfect in my book.

Melos Baroque Cello Bass Viol Rosin is superb for use with period instruments using gut strings. This Baroque version rosin is stickier than rosin for their modern counterparts. Melos founder Christos Sykiotis, himself a cellist, explains it this way: “The gut string sounds not easy as a metallic string. We shouldn’t press the bow in order to play so we need a stickier rosin to play easy.” Melos rosins are made in small batches from Greek pine resin and other natural ingredients.

Kolstein All Weather Bass Rosin – I originally heard about Kolstein rosin a decade ago from a professional double bassist (and have loved it ever since). This past weekend, I premiered a composition by percussionist Garrett Mendelow. This duo piece included three sections: (i) guqin zither + pedal board, tape, singing bowls and crotales (ii) tabla and Indian cello (iii) bowed vibraphone. We tried my Kolstein rosin on the bass bows + my Tatsuya Nakatani beach wood cello bow on the vibes. The tone was delicious. The vibraphone bars played smooth and spoke well. OK percussionists, the secret is out! Get that Kolstein bass rosin, it’s even stickier than the cello version – you won’t need much.

Speaking of percussionist Tatsuya Nakatani… I had the immense pleasure of performing in his Nakatani Gong Orchestra this September. It was hands down, one of the most unforgettable performances of my life. What a tremendous honor to learn directly from the bowed gong master himself (thanks Scott Gordon of Tone Madison for curating)! I’ve been using one of Tatsuya’s hand made Nakatani-Kobobows for about 3 years. I love it. The tone, the bite, the feel, the articulation…. his bows are incredible. They are designed for gongs and cymbals, so I tried it on the vibraphone. The Nakatani-Kobo bow spoke much quicker and with less pressure than a (often over tightened) double bass bow. Percussionists, these bows are made for bowing metal, check them out. I asked Tatsuya which rosin he prefers to use, his answer was: Pops Bass Rosin.

Alright Cello Zone studio, that’s all for today’s post. I hope you find this helpful when selecting your next cake of rosin! Follow the blog, like us on facebook and share with other cello friends. Leave your comments below, what’s your favorite brand of rosin and why?

“Which strings should I get for my cello?”

It’s a common question to receive as a cello teacher and quite honestly, a difficult one to answer. The gauge, tension, materials, and action of our strings make a significant difference in the tone and sound production of the cello. Each instrument has a different voice, which requires experimentation in what type of string is best to use. The same brand of strings on two different cellos will ultimately yield unique results. “String-Brand-A” may sound excellent on my cello, but be a totally wrong for yours…. With so many brands and prices, which one do you choose? Thankfully, Johnson String Instrument Shop has made it easier for me to share cello string combinations via student wish lists! Here are three sets/combos of strings to get you started, in order of low to high price.

** All string sizes listed below are 4/4 Full Size. If you need to order 1/2 or 3/4 size cello strings, be sure to select that option when ordering (start from this page, click below)! ⇓

Pros: Affordable, yet still sounds good and plays well! I use them on my homemade electric cello (#frankencello) and I find them to be flexible and reliable. They have stood up to some extreme playing conditions encountered during gigs.

Cons: Not as pitch stable as Kaplans or Helicores. The “center of pitch” feels slightly mushy… this is hard to describe and may be due to the nickel winding, which is on all strings.

Set Includes:

Prelude 4/4 Cello Set A, D, G & C – nickel wound / steel core: Medium

Prelude (D’Addario) – solid steel core string that is durable and not affected by temperature and humidity changes. Prelude strings have a clear, bright sound without the shrill sound of traditional steel strings, and have a quick bow response.

Pros: Great for multi-style playing. Holds tuning very well. Quick response. Fairly loud sound production. This has been the string combo on my concert cello from 2013 to 2017. They have proven to be suitable across many genres… however, I’m now moving on to some other brands of strings in search of a richer, mellower sound.

Cons: As the Kaplan A & D strings age, they get a bit metallic and scratchy sounding (especially in the high end). Not as subtle as Jargar, Larsen, Pirastro strings.

Combo Set Includes:

Kaplan Cello A – titanium wound / steel core: Medium

Kaplan Cello D – nickel wound / steel core: Medium

Helicore Cello G & C – tungsten-silver wound / steel core: Medium

Kaplan (D’Addario) – strings offer a beautiful, rich tonal palette and superb bowing response. They provide clarity and warmth across the registers and throughout the dynamic range.

Pros: Powerful low end sound. Beautiful rich tone. I very much enjoyed this combo when playing Brahms and other Romantic era pieces. Jargar has since come out with two new lines of string that I haven’t tried: Thin/dolce & Thick/forte. There isn’t a huge price jump on those and are worth trying, depending on your #soundgoals.

Cons: Larsen strings are costly, you pay for that good sound; the C string itself is $100. Sometimes my Jargar A & D strings would be a bit unstable & drop pitch over the course of a piece.

Combo Set Includes:

Jargar Cello A & D – chrome wound / steel core: Medium

Larsen Cello G & C – tungsten wound / steel core: Medium

Jargar – Bright, full sound, quick response. Made in Denmark, these steel core strings are favored by many solosits. Jargar strings are known for their powerful, well-balanced tone.

Larsen – Made in Denmark, Larsen strings are aimed at soloists in need of a string with projection.

Cellist Brian Grimm is a composer, performer and teacher based out Madison, WI. Though Classically trained and studied in Jazz, Brian also grew up surrounded by Chinese instruments. This has pulled him into a life passion for learning music from all around the world. Brian’s teachers include members of Yo-Yo Ma’s Silkroad Ensemble, the Hong Kong Chinese Orchestra, the WuJi Ensemble (Hong Kong), the Buselli–Wallarab Jazz Orchestra, & Sitar virtuoso Pt. Sugato Nag (India).

Join us for an Open House!

Sunday, June 1, 1:30-3:30 PM at MSAC

Take a complimentary 15 minute trial music lesson in cello, guitar, piano, trumpet, violin, or viola. (Bring your own instrument if possible; MSAC has limited instruments available for use in a trial lesson.)

Be creative in our Open Art Studio for all ages! Face painting and screen printing will be available as well!